Zero printing control for interpreters



Nov. 9, 1954 o. E. KASE 2,693,753

ZERO PRINTING CONTROL FOR INTERPRETERS Filed March 2, 1951 4 Sheet's-Sheet 1 I03 04 no 96 n2 "1 nnuana g lgnn- Ununqliunni- H II [I II H II I] I] [I II II llll wmu 37 FIG.I

as FIGS 90 INVENTOR.

OTTO E. KASE .BY fi 5 l ATTORNEY NOV. 9, 1954 KASE 2,693,753

ZERO PRINTING CONTROL FOR INTERPRETERS Filed March 2, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 103 POI INVENTOR OTTO E. KASE ATTORNFY Nov. 9, 1954 o. E. KASE 2,693,753

ZERO PRINTING CONTROL FOR INTERPRETERS Filed March 2, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

v OTTO E. KASE I 1/5 44" BY l Z ATTORNEY I I I I I I I Nov; 9, 1954 o. E. KASE ZERO PRINTING CONTROL FOR INTERPRETERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 2, 1951 WV OV mm Om mm ON 9 O RAW A owmm mwmzaz zuwzu INVENTOR. OTTO E. KASE LZLJLL ATTORNEY United States Patent ZERO PRINTING CONTROL FOR INTERPRETERS Otto E. Kase, Stamford, Conn., assignor to Remington Rand Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 2, 1951, Serial No. 213,527

14 Claims. (Cl. 101-93) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in record controlled printing machines, and more particularly to improvements on and additions to the machine disclosed in the patent to R. W. Ritzert, 2,311,471, dated February 16, 1943, and the patent to B. Haskins, 2,421,060, dated May 27, 1947.

The Ritzert patent discloses a machine for interpreting perforations in a record card and printing the decoded information on an imperforate portion of the card. The Haskins patent discloses an automatic zero printing mechanism for the Ritzert machine whereby significant zeros, which usually are not represented by code perforations in a card, are printed automatically.

The known machine is widely used for printing record card checks under control of code perforations in the checks themselves. In this type of work a large portion of the information that is printed is common to all of the checks and heretofore it was required that the perforation patterns appropriate to the said common information be repeated in each check.

One object of the invention is the provision of means acting automatically to print on each card check, information that is common to all of the checks, thus rrilakipg it unnecessary to punch this information in each c ec Heretofore some difiicnlty has been presented by the falsification of card check amounts by the addition of a significant figure.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for automatically printing falsification preventive symbols in all amount columns to the left of the highest significant figure, and in one or more columns to the right of the lowest significant figure.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the disablement of the automatic symbol printing mechanism for machine applications which do not require the same.

It is desired that, as a further falsification preventive measure, a figure representative of the number of denominational orders in the dollar amount of the check be printed on some otherwise unused portion of the check. For example, if the check amount is $250, it is desired to print the figure $1000 beneath the appropriate legend Not over.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for automatically printing in any desired group of columns the Not over figure that is appropriate to the dollar amount of each check.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation illustrating the embodiment of the means of the invention in the known machine;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the mechanism hidden in Fig. 2, the view being taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4-4- of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to the lower portion of Fig. 4 but illustrating a modified arrangement;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the means of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view, similar to the lower portion of Fig. 6, illustrating an operated position of the parts;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view that is also similar to the lower portion of Fig. 6 and which illustrates a slightly modified arrangement;

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the interconnections between Amount columns and the Not over columns;

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view of the known permutation slides as modified by the invention;

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view similar to Fig. 10 illustrating another way of modifying the slides; and

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a sample card check.

In view of the fact that the machine to which the present improvements are applied is fully illustrated and described in the aforementioned Ritzert and Haskins patents, only those parts necessary for an understanding of the invention will now be described.

Referring to Figs. l-5, record cards are fed into the machine and data designating code perforations in the cards are analyzed by a decoding mechanism 24 controlled by a sensing mechanism which transfers the perforation pattern in each card, through Bowden wires 29 of a removable wiring unit 25, to the permutation slides 26 of said decoding mechanism. The slides 26 are arranged in columns, six slides to a column, and each columnar set controls the action of a stop bar 27, and also stop bars 28 and 30 which will be more fully described hereinafter. While the permutation slides are being set, all of the stops 27, 28, and 30 are retained in normal position against the tension of their springs 31 by retract bails 32 which engage pins or lugs 33 in the sides of the stop bars and which bails are operated from rock shafts 35 through side arms 34. After the slides 26 have been set, the bail 32 is moved to operative or advanced position and the stops 27 or 30 appropriate to the analyzed card perforations are projected by their springs 31 into the paths of heels 36 extending horizontally from the upper ends of rack bars 37. The racks 37 are held in normal lowered position by a restoring bar 38, but shortly after the stops 27 or 30 are projected the restoring bar or bail moves upward and springs 40 raise the rack bars 37 until the latter are arrested by engagement of their heels 36 with the respective stops. Referring to Fig. 5, rather than Fig. 4 wherein a special arrangement is illustrated, each rack bar 37 carries on its rear face rack teeth 41 which mesh with a gear 42 mounted coaxially and rotatably with another gear 43. The gear 43 meshes with an idler 44 which drives a print wheel 46 having alphabetic and numeric characters embossed thereon.

The construction is such that, through the gear train just described, the print wheel 46 is rotated to present to a platen 47, the type appropriate to the projected stop 27. There is a rack 37, a print wheel 46, and interconnecting gearing for each column of stops 27.

Each print wheel 46 is mounted on a pivoted arm 48 which is rocked to lower the print wheel against the platen after the wheel has been set to the appropriate position. 1

In order to prevent lowering of the print wheels 46 on those occasions when the associated rack bars 37 do not rise, a bell-crank 50 has one end underlying the free end of each arm 48 and the other underlying the associated rack bar 37. A suitable spring biases each bell-crank 50 clockwise to unlocking position.

The stops 27 are controlled by the permutation slides 26 in such manner that they are projected for both full and half step distances. When a stop 27 is projected the full distance, the upper edge 51 of the heel 36 limits thereagainst, but when a stop is projected only half way a forwardly extending lug or tooth 52 of the heel limits against the stop. The stop 30 is also projected to full and half positions, in the former of which it engages in a deep notch 53 in the forward face of the heel 36 and prevents upward movement of the rack bar and in the latter of which it is engaged by a stop or tooth 54 in the forward edge of the heel 36 as the upwardly moving rack bar 37 reaches zero position. The construction of the permutation slides 26 whereby they'effect half and these changes will be fully described hereinafter.

The stop 28 is a column lock-out device controlled by a manually operable lever not shown.

The stop 30 is the automatic zero control stop and can only be projected when none of the permutation slides 26 in the column are raised by the sensing mechanism. The full and half stop movements of this bar are controlled by the automatic zero control mechanism disclosed by Haskins and which will now be described briefly. Near its forward end each slide 36 is provided in its under edge with a notch (Fig. 6) which is engaged by a turned off ear 56 at the upper end of the vertical arm of a lever 57 pivoted on a rod 58. Associated with each lever 57 is another lever 60 which includes an elongated vertical slot 61 through which the rod 58 extends, the lever 60, at its upper end being provided with a pair of bent olf ears 62, one extending in front of and the other behind the lever 57. The lever 60 is also provided with a lug 63 adapted to be positioned between the ears 62 of the next lever 60 to the right. The lever 57 is provided on its rear face with an extrusion or nose 64 for cooperation with the rearward ear 62 of its associate lever 60 as will be more fully described hereinafter. Below the slot 61 the lever 60 is offset forwardly and extends downwardly to embrace a stud 65 in a front to rear slot in the lower end thereof. The stud 65 is located in the end of a manually operable lever 67 pivoted on a rod 68 and maintained in either of two set positions by the engagement of a spring urged detent plate 70 with a frame bar 71. The lever 67 maintains lever 60 in either an upper or a'lower position, the latter lever being rockable about its pivot 58 in either of said positions due to the provision of the slot 66. When a lever 60 is in its lower position, the nose 64 of the associate lever 57 is located above the ears 62 of the former and the device is disabled. When the lever 60 is in its upper position the nose 64 lies between the ears 62, and if the associated stop 30 should be projected by its spring, the corresponding lever 57 rocks a half step to bring the said nose into engagement with the rearward ear 62 and then, if permitted, a second half step, carrying the said ear with it. If, in the next column to the left, however, the lever 60 had also been set in the upper position with its lug 63 between the ears 62 of the lever under discussion, and if the stop 30 associated with the said next lever 60 was prevented from moving by the setting of one of its permutation slides 26, then the nose 64 would be unable to rock the lever 60 and the right hand stop 30 would be projected only a half step. As described above this results in the printing of a zero.

The mechanism thus far described is substantially identical with that disclosed in the above mentioned patents.

The known machine is used extensively for printing information on perforated record card checks, under control of perforations in the checks. Heretofore the significant zeroes in the amount columns were printed automatically under control of the automatic zero mechanism, but all other information was printed in accordance with the perforation patterns in the card, with the possible exception of a designatory legend or two which was printed during the manufacture of the card.

According to the invention, all information save the preprinted designatory legends, the number of the check, and the digits in the amount columns of the check, are printed automatically. printed information is common to all checks, for example, the words Pay,"Dollars and "Centsf Other automatically printed information is peculiar to each check as, for example, significant zeroes, falsificationpreventive symbols (preferably asterisks) in the columns to,

the left of the highest significant digit in themcheck amount and in one or more columns to the rig'htTof the least significant figure and a figure indicative-of the number of denominational orders in the dollar amount of the check.

Some of this automatically located below the cards.

end of its horizontal arm (Fig. 6).

It is deemed desirable before entering into a detailed description of themeans of the invention 'tofirst describe a simple example of the results that it is desired to obtain.

Referring to the diagrammatic illustration of Fig. 12 there is disclosed a record card check having therein certain code perforations 76 and having certain information printed thereon. The 45 columns of the card utilized in the example to be described are identified by the scale The printed information on the face of the card is arranged in a single line having certain columns thereof designated by the preprinted legends Check number and Not over. Under the legend Check number, columns 1 to 5 are utilized for printing the appropriate number of the check; under the legend Not over columns 39 to 45 are utilized for printing either asterisks or zeros under control of the means of the invention. With regard to the occurrence of zeros in columns 39 through 45 it is to 'be mentioned that starting from column 39 one zero is provided for each significant figure in the dollar amount of thecheck. Column 38 is utilized always'to print the numeral 1 and column 37 is utilized always to print the Dollar sign, this also being under control of the means of the invention. Columns '20through 26 and 31 through 35 are utilized for always printing the legends Dollars and Cents. Columns 7 through 9 are utilized for always printing the legend'Pay. Columns 11 through 18, 28 and 29 .are utilized for printing either a numeral 09 or an asterisk. It will be noted that the said numerals always to present the 1 type to the platen; that in columns 39 through 45 the print wheels be provided with special asterisk type and that special means be provided for presenting either a zero type or an asterisk type to the platen; and that in columns 11 through 18 and 28 and -29,the print wheels beprovided with special numeral and asterisktypes and that means be provided for presenting the asterisk types to the platen in the event that a numeral type is :not moved :into printing position. The

means for accomplishing all of the above will now be described.

The firstmeans to be .describedis that which is utilized .in columns 11-18 and .28, 29 to effect the printing of asterisks if a numeral 09 is not printed.

According to the invention each .lever 57 is made in the form of a bell-crank having an ear 80 at the free Engaging each ear 80 to prevent rocking movement of the lever 57, is a hook nose '81 formed on'the vertical arm of a bell-crank 82. The several bell-cranks 82 are pivoted on a rod 83 mounted between frame plates 84 secured to a frame bar .85 of the zero control mechanism, see also Figs. 1 and 4.

'It will be remembered that each lever 57 controls the operation of-a zero stop 30 which, if it is projected a full step, prevents rise of the associated rack 37 and which, if it is projected a half step, halts the rack in zero position. It will also be remembered that a stop 30 is onlyprojected when none of the permutation slides 26 in the column are raised to release a stop 27. Thus. if'none of the permutation slides in a column are raised and the zero stop 30 is :not projected 'at all, the rack bar 37 rises to its full extent unless otherwise controlled. The invention provides means to be described hereinafter for stopping the rack bar in position to effect the printing of an asterisk in the event that no stop 27 or 30 is projected in the usual manner. The function of the hook noses 81, therefore, is to disable the stops 30 in individual columns to allow the racks to rise to the "asterisk position when they are not otherwise controlled by the steps .27.

the latter tending to maintain the hook noses 81 in engagement with the ears 80. Near its free end, each bellcrank 82 is provided with a laterally extending ear 92 which is engaged by the reduced lower end of a rod 93, said reduced end passing through an appropriately located hole in the comb plate 87. At their upper ends the rods 93 have reduced portions passing through suitably positioned holes in a cross plate 96 mounted on side frame pieces 97 which are secured to cross bars 98 of the permutation slide unit. A coil spring 94 wound on the reduced lower end of each rod 93 normally maintains the latter in its upper or unoperated position, but on occasion the said rod is depressed and through the ear 92 disengages the associated hook nose 81 from car 80. The horizontal arms of the bell-cranks 82 are provided at their ends with laterally inclined fingers or couplers 95 which overlap one another from left to right and act on depression of the leftmost rod 93 to rock all of the hook noses 81 to disengaged position. However, if some other one of the rods 93 is depressed, only its hook nose 81 and those to the right of it are disengaged, the hook noses to the left not being affected.

The upper end of each permutation slide 26 is provided with a vertical finger 100 which engages a pin 101 mounted between a pair of perforated plates 102 and urged downward by a spring. For compactness of lateral spacing the columnar groups of slides 26 and pins 100 are arranged in front and rear rows with alternate columnar groups in each row. Overlying each columnar group of pins 101 is a flange 103 extending laterally from the underedge of the rearward arm of a lever 104 pivoted on a rod 105 mounted in the side frame plates 97. Alternate levers 104 are, of course, of different lengths to bring their flanges 103 over the groups of pins 101 in the front and rear rows. All of the levers 104 are guided in a comb plate 106 supported on extensions of the frame plates 97 and also in an upwardly directed comb portion 107 of the cross plate 96. The forward arm of each lever 104 is provided at its end with an car 108 which engages the reduced upper end of the associated rod 93.

The construction is such that in all columns in which one or more permutation slides 26 and their associated pins 101 are raised, the levers 104 are rocked to depress the rods 93. This disengages the associated hook noses 81, and through the coupling fingers 95, all of the hook noses to the right from the levers 57. In those columns in which a slide 26 is raised, the automatic zero mechanism is prevented from acting by the raised slide. but in each of the columns to the right of the least significant figure, the freeing of the lever 57 is effective to permit operation of said zero mechanism. In the columns to the left of the most significant figure, however, the hook noses 81 remain in latching position so that the associated stops 30 are never projected and the bars 37 rise to the asterisk printing position.

In order that all of the hook noses 81 in the unit can be disabled if desired, a rod 110 extends across the forward arms of all of the levers 104 and has its ends fixed, one in an arm 111 and the other in a triangularly shaped niece 112, both of which are fixed on the rod 105. Piece 112 is provided with a slot 113 concentric with the rod 105 and engaged by a screw 114 which is threaded into the adjacent side frame piece 97 and which screw has a knurled head for manipulation by the fingers. A forwardly directed tail of piece 112 is provided with an ear 115 which may be acted upon manually by a finger to rock the piece 112 about its lvot.

p The construction is such that if the screw 114 be loosened and the ear 115 pressed downward. the rod 13.0 will depress the forward arms of all of the levers 104. which as described above, disengages all of the hook noses 81. By retightening the screw 114 the hook noses 81 are maintained in disabled position.

Tn order to print asterisks under control of the above described mechanism the stops 27 normally utilized for arresting each rack bar in the q and "z positions are appropriated. By reference to Fig. it will be seen that these stops 27 are the topmost ones, and are each projected a full step to arrest its corresponding rack in "17 position and a half step to arrest the rack in its topmost or 2 position. The movements of the "q and 2" stops 27 are controlled by locking windows 116 in the 5 and 7 slides 26 which correspond to the 5" and "7 perforation code positions in a Remington Rand column card, said windows embracing lugs 117 on the stops and normally preventing movement of the latter. If the 5 and 7 slides are raised, however, a stop is freed for projection by its spring. The amount of movement of the stop is controlled by a half step window 118 in the 9 slide 26 which embraces another lug 117 on the stop. Window 118 normally allows the stop to be projected a full step, but if the 9 slide is raised it limits such movement to a half step. Referring to the right hand side of the figure the perforation codes for the letters q and 2 both include the 5 and 7 holes and the z code also includes the "9 hole. Thus the stop is projected a full step for q and a half step for z. The code for "q also includes the 3 hole but the 3 slide 26 does not control the q, "2 stop in any way, being provided with an indifferent window 120 which embraces a lug 117 on the stop.

According to the invention, the locking windows 116 in the "5 and 7 slides which affect the q, "2 stop 27 are transformed into indifferent windows like the window 120, by cutting out the locking portions 121 thereof which are illustrated in dot and dash lines as evident in the slides D and E of the Ritzert patent above referred to. Thus, the q, 2 stop 27 will be projected a full step in all cycles of the machine except those in which the half step window 118 is effective to limit the movement of the stop to a half step for the printing of a z, and in those cycles in which the 0 or 1 slide 26 is raised to print some other character, said 0 and 1 slides each having therein an inverted locking window 122 that controls the q, 1 stop when in raised position.

It will be seen, therefore, that with the mechanism described, the insertion of an asterisk type in the q position of a type wheel 46 will result in the printing of an asterisk during each cycle of the machine on which said wheel is not utilized for printing some other character. It is to be remarked, that, if desired. any other symbol may be utilized in place of an asterisk.

In general those columns appropriate to the amount of the check are not utilized for any other purpose, so that alphabetic characters are not required on the print wheels in those columns. Further, the rack bars 37 in those columns rise only to the alternate positions determined by full step projections of the stops 27 appropriate to the numerals, and to the asterisk position which is also determined by a full step projection of its stop. This arrangement permits of the use of a print wheel 125 (Fig. 4) having only numeric type plus an asterisk type, which are of double size and are doubly spaced. To compensate for the double spacing of the types of wheel 125, the gears 43 and 44 which effect rotation of a normal type wheel 46 (Fig. 5) are replaced by suitably pitched gears 126 and 127 (Fig. 4).

As a result, therefore, an asterisk is printed in each amount column in the event that a numeral 0-9 is not printed, whether an ordinary print wheel 46 having an asterisk type thereon or a special wheel 125 is utilized.

In those columns in which it is desired always to print the same characters (columns 7-9, 20-26, 31-35 and 38), the print wheels 46 are set with respect to their driving gears 43 and 44 in such a manner that the excursion of a rack bar to the q position rotates the associated type wheel an amount appropriate to bring the desired character into position for printing. This setting, it will be seen is accomplished by engaging the appropriate teeth of the type wheel with those of the driving gear 44 when the rack bar is in normal position. The rack bars 37 in these columns advance to the q position on each cycle under control of a mechanism which is identical with portions of the mechanism described above for printing asterisks. The permutation slides 26 involved are modified as described above to effect a full step projection of the q stop 27 on each cycle, and, as nothing is ever punched in these columns of the card and, therefore, said permutation slides are never raised, the only bar to the desired action of the racks 37 is the zero control stops 30. Accordingly, the bell-cranks 57 which control the operation of these stops 30 are latched in normal positions by the hook noses 81' of bell-cranks 82 as shown in the lower right hand corner of Fig. 8. The bell-cranks 82' are identical with the bell-cranks 82 except that they are not provided with the laterally inclined couplers 9,5 and are not controlled by rods 93.

The construction is such that the bell-cranks 82 permanently maintain the steps 30 in retracted position and the racks are free to advance to the q position on each cycle. If desired, manually settablemeans for disabling all of the bell-cranks 82' may be provided.

This same arrangement may be utilized in column 37 where it is desired to print a dollar sign on each cycle, a dollar sign type, however, being embossed in the q position of the type wheel. Referring to Fig. 12 it will be seen that asterisks are printed .in columns 19, 27

and .30, that is, interspaced .between the amount of the check and the words dollars and cents. These asterisks may also be printed under control of bell-cranks 82' by inserting asterisks in the q positions of the type wheels.

In order to print in columns 38-45 (Fig. '12) a figure indicative of the number of denominational orders in the dollar portion of the check amount (columns 11 through 18) and thus further to prevent falsification of the check amount by the addition of a significant digit, the following means is provided. Referring also to Figs. 4 and 9, the Bowden wire 29 in each perforation positionof columns 11-18 is Y wired to the corresponding position incolumns 45-39 respectively. That is, column 18 is Y wired to-column 39, column 17 to column 40, etc. Thus, actuation of a Bowden 29 in any of the columns 11-18 to effect the printing of a-digit -9 will not only raise the proper slide or slides 26 in these columns, but,

"through a Y wire 29' will also raise the corresponding slide or slides 26 in the appropriate columns 39-45. The print wheels '46 in each column 39-45 are provided with zero type elements in each of the positions appropriate to the digits 0 to 9. Thus, no matterwhat digits are printed under control of Bowden wires 29 in columns 11-18, only zeros are printed under control of Bowdens 29'.

At this point, it is to be mentioned that in columns 11-18, the printing of significant zeros must be accomplished under control of zero perforations in the cards,

that is, the automatic zero mechanism may not be used.

This is required in order to actuate the Bowdens 29.

Referring specifically to Fig. 12, the dollar amount of the check is 250 dollars, and in the columns under the legend Not over the figure $1000 is printed -Obviously, the addition of a significant figure to the dollar amount 250 would raise said amount above the Not over figure 1000, clearly indicating a falsification.

In order to prevent falsification of the Not over figure of columns 39-45, an asterisk :printed control unit identical with that described above with reference to the printing of asterisks in amount columns is provided. Thus, whenever none of the slides 26 in any of these columnsare raised to elfect printing of azero, the associated rack bars 37 rise to theasterisk position, and an asterisk is printed.

The above description is directed more or less specifically-to the card check arrangement illustrated in Fig. 12, but .it is to be understood that the mechanism involved may be arranged in any desired manner to produce any desired results.

In the above described arrangement, it is necessary to utilize one of the alphabetic rack positions for printing asterisks which disables the affected columns for other types of work that require alphabetic printing. Therefore, a modified form of the invention provides a special rack position for asterisks which may be utilized either under control of the automatic asterisk printing mechanismor under card control without disabling the affected column for alphabetic printing. Thus the machine may be utilized for printing checks as above described and also for .printing alphabetic matter.

In the well known Remington Rand ninety column perforation code, the combination of the zero and one perforation, however, is not utilized for any of the alphabetic of numeric characters and this combination 1s appropriated for controlling the printing of asterisks.

As best shown in Fig. 4, 18 stops 27 are provided in each column, each being projectable full and half step distances to .positionthe rack properly for all of the thirty-six alphabetic and numeric characters. In order to create a pseudo thirty-seventh rack position printing asterisk or any other desired symbol, the letter O and the digit 0 are combined as one character and a special set of permutation slides 26' (Fig. 11) having their control windows arranged differently than the slides 26 is provided in each affected column. The combined letter -O and zero position is that previously occupied by zero and controlled by the lowermost stop 27 as shown in Fig. 11. The code for the letter O is 1 and 3, and therefore, the l and 3 slides 26 are provided each with a locking window 116 which engages a stud projecting from the lowermost stop 27. These locking windows normally prevent movement of said stop, but if the l and 3 slides are raised, they allow said stop to be projected a full step, which results in the associated rack being stopped in the combined zero, letter 0 position. The code for zero consists merely of a zero hole, but the 0 slide 26 is provided with an inverted locking window 122 which engages a stud projecting from the lowermost stop 127 and prevents movement of the latter when the 0 slide is raised. The 0 slide 26' is also provided with a half step window 118 which engages a stud in the automatic zero control stop 30 and allows said stop to be projected only a half step when the 0 slide is raised. All of the other slides lock the zero control stop 30 against movement when they-are raised, the same as described above.

The construction thus far described is such that when the l, 3 code for the letter O is sensed the l and 3 slides are raised and allow the lowermost stop 27 to be projected a full step to halt the rack in the combined zero, letter 0 position; and when the code for zero is sensed the 0 slide 26' is raised and allows the stop 30 to be projected a half step to limit the rack in that same zero position.

In order to utilize the half step position of the lowermost stop 27, the latter has a stud projecting into a half step window 118 in the nine slide 26', said window normally not affecting the stop but limiting the latter to a half step movement when the slide is raised. The code for the letter Y is the same as that for the letter O, but includes also a nine hole which affects the raising of the nine slide 26'. The letter Y, therefore, is printed as a result of a half step movement of the lowermost stop 27.

The special code designation 0, l is associated with the topmost stop 27 'as is the code representation 3, 5, 7 for the letter q. Each of the slides 26' save the 5 slide is provided withan indifferent window 120 which embraces a stud in the topmost stop 27, these indifferent windows not affecting the movement of said stop. The 5 slide is provided with a half step window 116 which, when the slide is raised, limits the stop to a half step movement to halt the rack in its topmost or q position. On all cycles in which the 5 slide is not raised, said topmost stop 27 is projected a full step and limits the rack in the special asterisk position. The purpose of the O 1 code is to:raise the O and 1 slides 26 and prevent movement of the zero stop 50 through the medium of a locking window 122 in the latter slide, and also to prevent movement-of the stop 27 for the digit 1 through the medium-of a locking window 122 in the former slide.

The construction is such that a zero can be printed under control of perforations :in the card or under control of the automatic zero mechanism the same as in the known machine. Also, an asterisk can be printed under control of the 0, 1 code combination or automatically when'none of the slides 26 are raised and the automatic zero stop '30 is restrained by the asterisk printing mechanism described above.

The arrangement of the windows in the slides 26' for all of the stops 27 between the topmost and lowermost ones, which have already been discussed, may be the same as heretofore, but is preferably modified as shown in Fig. 11 to locate the most frequently used letter positions as near as possible to the initial positionof the rack bar. Thus, the average excursion of said rack is somewhat shorter.

While there are above described but a limited number of embodiments of the invention, it is possible to produce still other embodiments without departure from the inventive concept above disclosed, and it is, therefore, desired that only'such limitations shall 'be imposed on the appended claims as are stated therein, or required by the prior art.

card checks partly under control of perforations in the checks and partly automatically, the combination in each amount column and in each of a plurality of other columns, of a printing wheel, a rack advanced difierentially to set said wheel, a set of permutation slides operated selectively under card control, a plurality of stops set selectively under control of said permutation slides to arrest the rack differentially, one said stop being set to efiect printing of a predetermined character when none of said slides are operated, an automatic zero control stop to arrest the rack in zero position, said zero stop being locked against advance by the operation of any of said slides, disableable automatic zero control mechanism for setting said zero stop to limit the rack in zero position in each amount column to the right of the least significant figure printed under control of said permutation slides, a latch to prevent advance of the zero stop, and in each amount column a trip for said latch actuated on operation of any of said slides, and a coupler operated with the trip to actuate the trip in the next amount column to the right.

2. In a machine for printing information on record card checks partly under control of perforations in the checks and partly automatically, the combination in each amount column and in each of a like number of other columns, of a printing Wheel, that in each of said other columns is efiective to print a predetermined character when set to any numerical position, a rack advanced differentially to set said wheel, a set of permutation slides operated selectively under card control, a plurality of stops set selectively under control of said permutation slides to arrest the rack difierentially, one said stop being set to effect printing of a predetermined symbol when none of said slides are operated, an automatic zero control stop to arrest the rack in zero position, said zero stops being locked against advance by the operation of any of said slides, disableable automatic zero control mechanism for setting said zero stop to limit the rack in zero position in each column to the right of the rightmost significant figure printed under control of said permutation slides, a latch to prevent advance of the zero stop, a trip for said latch actuated on operation of any of said slides, a coupler in each amount column only, actuated with said trip to actuate the trip in the next column to the right, and Y-wiring for concomitantly operating the-permutation slides in each amount column and in the denominationally inverse one of said other columns.

3. In a card controlled machine for printing information on checks under control of code perforations arranged in columns in the checks, the combination of printing means including a rack for each column advanced difierentially from a starting position and a printing wheel set by operation of said rack, a plurality of stops projectable into the path of said rack at difierential distances from said starting position, a plurality of perforation controlled permutation slides controlling the projection of said stops, the stops nearest to and furthest away from said starting position being freed by said slides when the latter are not operated, a latch to prevent projection of the stop nearest the starting position, a trip for said latch actuated by the operation of one of said slides, and a coupler associated with said trip and operated therewith to actuate the trip in the next columns to the right of the trip operating slide.

4. In a card controlled machine for printing information on checks under control of columnar code perforations in the checks, the combination of printing means corresponding with each column including a rack advanced differentially from a starting position and a printing Wheel set thereby, a plurality of stops in each column projectable into the path of said rack at differential distances from said starting position, a plurality of card controlled permutation slides controlling the projection of said stops, the stops nearest to and furthest away from said starting position being free of said slides when the latter are not operated, a latch for some of the columns to prevent projection of the stop in different columns nearest to the starting position, a trip for each latch actuated by operation of any one of said slides, and means for transferring the movement of said latch to the next adjacent latch.

5. In a machine for printing information on a record card check partly under control of perforations in the check and partly automatically, the combination in each Of a plurality of columns, of a printing wheel, a rack advanced difierentially to set said wheel, a set of permutation slides operated selectively under card control, a plurality of stops set selectively under control of said permutation slides to arrest the racs; differentially, one said stop being set to arrest the rack in a symbol printing position when none of said slides are operated, an automatic zero stop to arrest the rack in zero position, said zero stop being locked against advance by the operation of any of said slides, automatic zero control mechanism for setting said zero stop to limit the rack in zero position in each column to the right of the least significant figure printed under control of said permutation slides, a latch to prevent setting of said zero stop and a trip for releasing the latch and rendering it responsive to said automatic zero control mechanism.

6. In a machine for printing information on a record card check partly under control of perforations in the check and partly automatically, the combination in each of a plurality of columns, of a printing wheel, a rack advanced differentially to set said wheel, a set of permutation slides operated selectively under card control, a plurality of stops set selectively under control of said permutation slides to arrest the rack differentially, one said stop being set to arrest the rack in a symbol printing position when none of said slides are operated, an automatic zero stop to arrest the rack in zero position, said zero stop being locked against advance by the operation of any of said slides, automatic zero control mechanism for setting said zero stop to limit the rack in zero position in each column to the right of the least significant figure printed under control of said permutation slides, a latch to prevent setting of said zero stop, a trip for said latch actuated by the operation of any of said slides, and a coupler operated with said trip to actuate the trip in the next column to the right.

7. In a machine for printing information on record card checks partly under control of perforations in the checks and partly automatically, the combination in each of a plurality of columns, of a printing wheel, a rack advanced difierentially to set said wheel, a set of permutation slides operated selectively under card control, a plurality of stops set selectively under control of said permutation slides to arrest the rack differentially, one said stop being set to limit the rack in a symbol printing posltion When none of said slides are operated, an automatic zero stop to arrest the rack in zero position, said zero stop being locked against advance by the operation of any of said slides, automatic zero control mechanism for setting said zero stop to limit the rack in zero position in each column to the right of the least significant figure printed under control of said permutation slides, a latch to prevent setting of said zero stop, a trip for said latch actuated by the operation of any of said slides, a coupler operated with said trip to actuate the trip in the next column to the right, and manually settable means for maintaining all of the trips actuated.

8. In a machine for printing information on record card checks partly under control of perforations in the checks and partly automatically, the combination in each column of a printing wheel, a rack advanced difierentially to set said wheel, a first means normally effective to efiect printing of a predetermined character, card controlled means including stop controlling slides for effecting the printing of characters represented by perforations in the checks, a second means normally efiective to efiect printing of another predetermined character, said second means being disabled on operation of said card controlled means, a latch to maintain said second means disabled, a trip for said latch actuated on operation of said card controlled means, and a coupler actuated with said trip to actuate the trip in the next column to the right.

9. In a machine for printing information on record card checks partly under control of perforations in the checks and partly automatically, the combination in each column of a printing wheel, a rack advanced differentially to set said wheel, a first means normally efiective to efiect printing of a predetermined character, card controlled means including stop controlling slides for effecting the printing of characters represented by perforations in the checks, a second means normally efiective to effect printing of another predetermined character, said second means being disabled on operation of said card controlled means, a latch for maintaining said second means disabled and a trip for releasing the latch to effect printing of said other predetermined character.

1 1' 10. In a machine for printing information on record card, checks: partly under control of perforations in the checks and partly automatically,-the combination in each column of a printing wheel, a rack advanced differentially to set said wheel, a first means normally effective to effect printing of a predetermined character, card controlled means including stop controlling slides for effecting the printingof characters represented by perforations in the checks, asecond means normally effective to efiect printing of another predetermined character, said second meansbeingdisabled on operation-of said card controlled means,- a latch to maintain said secondmeans disabled, and a trip for said latch actuated onoperation of said card: controlled means 11. In a machine for printing information on record card checksunder control of perforations'in the-checks, the combination in each ofa plurality of columns of a printing wheel, a rack advanced difierentially'to set said wheel, a-plurality of stops for arresting the rack, a set of permutation slides operated under card control and controlling said stops, one stop normally being free of the-slides and one being controlled thereby to arrest the rack in a zero, letter position, and automatic zero stop for arresting the rack in the same zero, letter 0 position, the operation of any of said slides save one, lockingsaid zero'stop-against action, and the operation-of said one-slide controlling the zero stop to arrest the rack in said zero, letter 0 position, an automatic zero-control device'for setting the zero-stop, a'latch toprevent operation of said automatic zerodevice and a trip for releasing the latch to enable. said automatic zero device to becomeefiective.

1-2. In a machine for printing information onrecord card-checks under control of perforations in the checks, the combination in each of a plurality of columns of aprinting wheel, a rackadvanced differentially to set said wheel, a plurality of stops for arresting the rack, a set of permutation slides operated under card control and controlling said stops,- onestop normally beingfree of the slides and one'being controlled thereby toarrest the rack in-a zero, letter 0 position, anautomatic zero stop for arresting the rack in the same zero, letter 0 position, the operation of any of said slides save one locking said zero stop against action, and the operation of" said oneslide controlling the zero stop to arrest the rack insend zero, letter 0 position, an automatic zero control devicefor settingthe zero stop, a'latch'to prevent 12 operation of said automatic zero" device and a trip for said latch actuated on operation of any of saidslidesr 1-3. In a machine for printinginformation on record card checks under controlof perforations in the checks, the combination ineach of aplurality ofcolumns ofa printing wheel, a rack advanced differentially to set said wheel, a plurality of stops for arresting-the rack, a set of permutation slides operated under card control and controlling said stops, one stop normally being free of the slides and one being controlled thereby to'arrest thera'ck in a zero, letter 0 position, an automatic zero stop for arresting the rack in the same zero, letter 0 position, the operationof any of saidslides save one lockingsaid zero stopagainst action and" the operationof said one-slide controlling the zero stop to arrest the rack in said zero, letter 0' position, an automaticzero control device for setting the zero'stop' and a latchto prevent operation'of' said automatic zero device, atrip for said latch actuated on operation of' said slides, and a coupler actuated withsaifd1 tripto actuate the trip in the nextcolumn to therig t.

14; Ina machine ofthe character described, the-combination with racks differentially adjustable to set printing wheelsin accordance with rackstops movable to diiferent positions undercontrol of permutation means and said stops being also-rendered ineifect-ive upon actuation of anyassociated permutation means,- a set of selectively actuableleversassociated with eachstop for controlling the movements thereof whereby uponone stop being rendered ineifective by actuation of itsass'ociated permutation means-said control-levers permit par-* tial movement ofalli stops in the lower orders; of latchmeans to prevent settingof said'stops; tripsfo'r said latch means actuated by saidpermutation meansand' coupling means operated with said trips-to actuatethe tripof thelatch mean'sin the next adjacent position.

References Cited inthe file of-this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number- Name Date 2,247,916 Lake July 1, 1941 2,311,471 Ritzert Feb. 16,-. 1943" 2,381,361 Mueller Aug. 7-, 1945 2,421,060 Haskins May 27, 1947 2,507,117 Mueller May'9 1950 2,570,113 Gollwitzer Oct; 2', 1951' 

